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I don’t know exactly what I would do without the internet these days. Well for starters I wouldn’t be able to post this article online waxing lyrical about how amazing it is. It’s how I earn a living and travel the world, but that’s not the only reason why it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

It has made our lives a lot easier in so many ways. I accept that it might have made a lot of us a bit less sociable but the benefits certainly outweigh the negatives.

Earning Money Online

I am fortunate enough to be able to make a living online and travel at the same time. The internet allows be to be a digital nomad, so I can be anywhere in the world but still work. That is of course if there’s a stable internet connection, which I am sure we all know can be the most frustrating thing at times. It has also allowed a whole host of people to be free to live and work where they want. Going a step further, it has led to some of the most successful ideas earning big bucks for people.

Staying in touch

With out the internet, we would all struggle to stay in contact with people as much as we do. It’s even more important when we travel. Being able to call friends and family for free, upload pictures so that they can see where I am and also post stories on my blog, are all ways of how I can stay in touch with everyone. The good old postcard is still utilised from time to time, but I know my mum is always happy with the email every other day to let her know everything is ok. When I have kids the internet will be my saviour, I can’t imagine how worried parents were before the internet was invented and their kids went off to travel the world!

Being able to buy anything

We don’t have to trek around stores anymore looking for that one item that seems impossible to find. Now with online shopping becoming bigger and bigger we are able to find anything we want, what’s better is that we can pretty much get it shipped to wherever we want as well. The prices are also crazy online! Groupon vouchers are a great example of that, I am able to to order new clothes whilst on the road at knock down rate and have them delivered to the next hotel I’ll be staying at.

So, thank you internet for making work, travel and leisure so much easier for all of us!

Dubai is absolutely amazing and possibly my favourite city in the world. After being there on more than one occasion, I’ve found out some great tips that will help you spend quality time in the dazzling city.

My first piece of advice is to Fly Emirates since it is the best airline in the world. The service is second to none and I don’t think I’ve ever faced a single delay. Dubai is all about living in luxury and experiencing the perfect holiday, so you need to make sure your holiday gets off to the best start possible.

Dubai is situated on the edge of a desert so it can sometimes be tempting just to stay inside your resort and live it up there for your holiday. But we all know your holiday will be a million times better if you decide to venture out of the hotel and leave the poolside for a day or two.

Here are some of my top tips for anyone out there planning on visiting Dubai:

The best time of the year to visit is between the months of November and April. The reason for this is because the weather is much more pleasant at this time, below 30 degree Celsius. With this great weather, Dubai is livelier than during the scorching summers. During summers, temperatures can rise all the way up to nearly 50 degrees.

Ramadan is a great time to visit Dubai because it is just so fascinating and you really get to embrace the culture of Islam. I love experiencing Ramadan. Of course, if you want to indulge yourself in the nightlife and bars then it is definitely not the time for you to visit because certain laws are imposed during Ramadan.

If you’re interested in sports and activities, then Dubai has a lot for you to enjoy. The highlight of the sports and activities calendar has to be the Dubai Rugby Sevens when the best teams in the world gather to compete. It also means that the city is full of rugby fans.

If you’ve been lucky enough to visit Dubai then it would be a great idea if you share your tips and tricks with the rest of us.

10 Web Analytics Solutions for Ecommerce Merchants

Any serious online marketer understands the power of web analytics. The internet has an array of online tools that online businesses can use to effectively analyse the behaviour of their consumer traffic. Here Cloud-iQ present ten web analytics tools to help identify and correct issues before they become costly.

1)Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the go-to business tool for online marketers. Containing many of the features to be found in paid solutions, Google Analytics is free! There are tutorials available to walk you through using Google Analytics, and while there is limited support available, the programs are user friendly.

2)Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics is another excellent tool that provides in-depth information about your consumers’ habits, such as when the time that elapses between the moment someone visits your website and a purchase.

3)Web Trends
Web Trends’ clientele comprise some of the top online marketing companies out there. With a long history it is considered to be a leader in online data collection and it provides comprehensive digital intelligence. Pricing varies so check with their website.

4)VisiStat
Visistat is particularly designed for small and medium sized businesses. Although this tool has advanced features, it is actually designed to provide information that is simple, clear and usable.

5)Snoobie
Snoobie aims to help online merchants determine which marketing strategies generate the most sales. It is popular in the European market but is also useful for merchants based in North America.

6)Truviso
Truviso offers visitor data, online advertising data and video measurement. The firm’s analytical engine can be white labelled so that you can use it without even realising it.

7)Reinvigorate
This engine monitors real-time site data using globally distributed tracking code. They offer industry leading heatmaps and also offer tagging.

8)Mint
This tool is particularly popular with bloggers and website owners who publish a lot of content. It allows them to host their own analytical tool set.

9)Woopra
Woopra allows businesses to filter its online traffic according to various categories by community, feed reader traffic, email and social media.

10)Clicky
Clicky is another solution that is focused on providing a user friendly service and making things simple.

Social Media has its own analytics tools such as Twitter Analytics and Facebook Analytics. Online businesses would benefit from looking into these solutions as well.

When it comes to packing travel attire, most people think that it’s best to have more than less; it always feels like you could do with just one more piece of clothing until you realise you have packed too many things you need to unpack again. Next time you find yourself doing this, you need to remember one thing only; if it can’t fit in the overhead bin, it probably isn’t just light enough. Given that, this comes down to not just what, but how you pack. With a little creativity, you can easily fit two weeks clothing in a tiny carry-on bag. Here are some tips form seasoned travel experts Urbane Traveller.

A Few Guidelines

The good things about travel clothes is that unlike office wear, you can wear them day after day and not have to worry about who’s going to spot you in the same outfit twice. Well, your travel partners may see you, but that’s nothing to worry about as long as they were also smart enough to keep their luggage to the minimum.

So what type of clothing should you bring? It’s very much straightforward; practical, comfortable and lightweight clothing. You need clothes that you can wash at night and wear the next morning; clothes that will keep you just warm or cool enough to get on with what you need to do uninterruptedly. Still, even though denim jeans are generally big and heavy, you can slip in a pair of these as well. The fact that you can wear jeans a couple of times without having to clean them is what makes them an exception , and this completely merges with the idea of sticking with the basics.

If you want to carry five extra shirts just in case you are invited for that formal occasion, or think you might need two more pairs of thick wools socks lest you go mountain climbing, leave them at home. You will not use them, and the odds are that you won’t even realise they are missing. Besides, you will have yourself to thank when you get lost roving through the streets of a strange town with your luggage while trying to locate a suitable place to stay for the night.

Little Things That Will Make a Difference

As much as you need to pack light, there are a few must-have items that no traveller should leave behind; items that will go a long way into helping you make the most your time off. These include a camera, a travel adapter, and a travel bag. Obviously there are places you’ll go to that you’ll never get the chance to visit again, and things you will see that you may never see again. This is why you have to take your camera with you—t ravelling is all about adventure and building memories. And no, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a camera to use during your trip to Rome; you can opt for something reasonably priced, or even use your Smartphone or tablet. Again, it’s simply all about sticking to the basics.

In the last few years experts in public relations have watched as the industry has undergone somewhat of a transformation. It does not look like the changes are going to come to a halt anytime soon. This of course means that those within the industry have had to adapt to meet these new challenges.

Public relations companies have seen a new CIPR Framework come in to play and also the world of media relations and social media evolve.

What is the CIPR Framework?

The main way that the changes have been dealt with is through the creation of a new Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Framework. With the framework in place it allows employer to streamline their recruitment process, thus improving the quality of staff they hire. One other key part to the framework is that it allows for benchmarking the skills of one professional against another, or one company, with some degree of assurance.

There are four key components within the CIPR system; Impact, insight, ideas and implementation. One commentator noted that ‘as each element impacts (and builds upon) the others, a synergy can be achieved that would be unlikely with more traditional methods.’ (Click here to read the full article)

Media relations

The astronomical rise of social media has sometimes blurred the lines between public relations and media relations. In big companies there are various departments dealing with different areas of PR. This can cause issues because the different teams can feel alienated from one another; this is something that should be avoided. The different teams will most likely be public relations, media relations and social media. Media relations are more focused now with online media because the printed press is declining at a rapid rate.

The difference that social media has made is that it is no longer a one-way street where the PR team control press releases and coverage. Now the consumer is able to share their feedback about the company, this means that there are more factors influencing other potential future consumers. So it is essential that the social media team work in perfect harmony with the PR team.

If we take Facebook, as an example, users can go on to a company’s page and instantly post a review or comment for the whole world to see. The various teams need to work together to give measured responses for any potential hot potatoes.

Now press conferences and interviews need to be carefully managed by all teams because within seconds social media will be aware of any major slip-ups. All journalists have twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms where they can reach their target audience instantly. So extra care and attention must be paid by the PRs, ‘as part of the preparation, all PRs should know the media and its journalists as well as they know their clients.’ Unfortunately a growing number of people believe what they see on their Facebook newsfeed, take it for granted without checking the facts, there are so many challenges out there that keep the teams on their toes 24 hours a day.

‘Both (media relations and public relations) overlap in many organizations, some do not even know the difference between them.’ It is important that they both evolve with the times and find good working relationships that cements the company’s reputation.

When you’re thinking of somewhere new to travel to it can be hard to find information on lots of places on the same site. this website makes this easier as it has information about lots of different places all over the planet all in the same place so you don’t have to go to a different website for each place that you’re looking for information about.
The website, Trip-Suggest, is well laid out and contains information that isn’t just relevant but interesting as well. For example when I looked for info Cayman Islands there was just so much. This area of the website doesn’t just explain about the country itself but it also gives information about the climate, its historical background and facts about the economy as well.
This country guide can help many people in different ways, if you are considering visiting the country for a vacation then information on the climate is essential, especially somewhere tropical as there can be monsoon seasons many want to avoid. It’s also great for people who are travelling and may want somewhere to stay, the site gives information about telephone codes making it easy for someone to ring a hotel in advance for example.
There are also links to other information such as popular places to go so this is very useful for people who are already in the area but may be unsure where to visit in the area. There’s also an option to download the country data so you can keep it with you in case you are mobile and need to refer to it at a later date.
Overall it is a comprehensive site covering information for many different countries and places with a wealth of information. Some pages could do with some more photos as people like to see the places they may want to visit but this is a work in progress and will get better in time. It’s already growing so go check out the site for yourself and see what you think of it, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.